Inside midtown Manhattan’s Bistro Milano, television screens broadcast an Italian soccer game, around which the majority of servers and patrons have crowded to gasp, cheer, and clap in unity. But first-time actress Gabourey Sidibe, oblivious, drowns out the clatter with her frequent snort-punctuated laughter. “My roommate and I love Chipotle. It’s so awesome!” she says, chuckling. “We go around noon, and we’re like, How badass would it be if we got a Corona with our burrito -- we’re such derelicts.” Sidibe’s definition of what makes a derelict couldn’t be further from the abuse she suffers as the title character in Lee Daniel’s Precious. Alongside Mo’Nique as her bilious mother, Sidibe plays a teenager who is twice impregnated by her HIV-positive father. The film, a dark but hopeful story about urban poverty and spiritual endurance, was produced by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, and will quite possibly garner Oscar nominations for its two leads. Here, the charming and spirited Sidibe explains the magic of being in the same room with Oprah, Mariah and, um, Steve Buscemi. (For more on Sidibe, check out the upcoming December/January issue of BlackBook -- this is just the gossipy stuff.)

Do you get star struck? Totally! And by the most random celebrities. Steve Buscemi was at one of our premieres, and I was like, Holy shit! It’s Steve Buscemi! My big creep moment, however, came early on while filming Precious. Paula Patton, who stars in the film, is married to Robin Thicke, who I love. He’s so tall. He came to set and hugged me, like a good seven or eight times, and I nearly died. But I kept it cool. I kept it together. And then he left, and I started crying, like sobbing.

Do you remember the first time you met Oprah? We were in a small room with low ceilings. All of the suits that are associated with this film were pushing me towards her. But I’m scared of her, so I’m shifting backwards. But she sees me, and keeps inching closer and closer. She can’t get to me fast enough, because she’s Oprah and everyone wants to talk to her. I’m the only idiot in the room trying to get away from her. Finally, I’m backed into a wall and she gets to me. She hugs me and then I see her mouth moving, but I hear nothing. All I remember is that her favorite color is green. I always wear purple and she was wearing purple one day, and I think I said, Oprah, stop stalking me! And she said, “Purple is a very pretty color on you. Everyone thinks it’s my favorite color, but really, it’s green.” That’s all I remember.

Did you have any preconceptions about your co-star Mariah Carey before this film? Had you seen Glitter? Everyone makes fun of her for that, which is weird, because it’s like, it wasn’t supposed to win an Oscar anyway. The first time I saw her was at Lee Daniels’ apartment. She walked in and behind her I saw a trail of glitter and diamonds -- but that’s my perception of her, because she’s Mariah. All that vanished on the second day of filming when I realized she’s just a girl. Maybe it helps that I saw her without makeup, wearing polyester clothing.

Did you feel added pressure to do right by Sapphire [who wrote the book Push, upon which Precious is based]? I felt immense pressure to do justice to Sapphire’s story. I hate when adaptations get it wrong. Precious was Sapphire’s baby. I also felt responsibility to Lee Daniels, who chose me from obscurity and put me in the same room as Helen Mirren, Halle Berry, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. [all of whom had been in talks to star in the film]. Helen Mirren didn’t end up doing it, because she got a real offer that paid her money instead of chicken wings.

Have you heard the rumors centered on Mo’Nique? There has been talk that she doesn’t much care about the possibility of an Oscar nomination, and that she refuses to publicize the film unless she gets paid to do so. I hear a little bit of it, but Mr. Daniels is always like, “Don’t tell Gabby.” He always wants to keep me protected, so I’ve heard a bit of that story, but as far as I know, she is in full support of this film. It’s her film, too. On the last day of set, she told Mr. Daniels that her Oscar was his happiness with what she did with the character. So maybe that’s all she said, and it was taken completely out of context?

What’s the biggest luxury you’ve indulged in since wrapping Precious? Why, because this film paid me a million dollars?

No, because people are saying you might be nominated for an Oscar. I’ve been traveling so much lately, so whenever I’m home, which is usually only for one or two days, I declare it Pajama Day. I order sushi and Cold Stone ice cream, and that is my treat. My roommates are like, “Gabby, you’ve been so busy, and you haven’t been a bitch about it, so we’re going to get you a cupcake.” So yeah, I have my little rewards. You have to take them.